Molding apparatus.



PATBNTED MAY 31, 1904.

I; W. CAMPBELL. MOLDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26, 1903.

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MOLDING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED we. 26. 1903.

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Patented May 31, 1904.

JOHN W. CAMPBELL, OF COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTHTO ROBERT B. COLORADO.

COLLIER, OF COLORADO SPRINGS,

MOLDING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7er,2o1, dated. May 31,1904.

Application filed August 26, 1903.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN W. CAMPBELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Colorado Springs, in the county of El Paso and State ofColorado, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in MoldingApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the art of molding cement tile, coping,cornice, and the like, and is designed to provide certain new and usefulimprovements whereby the completed article is a homogeneous mass and hasa smooth finished surface free from pores and cells. It is furthermoredesigned to secure a slicking orv troweling action upon the exposedsurface of the plastic material in the mold during the compressionthereof, so as to work out the cream of the cement, and thereby give thecompleted article a smooth surface simultanleously with the compressionof the mater1a r With these and other objects in view the presentinvention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as willbe hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings,and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understoodthat changes in the form, proportion, size,and minor details may be madewithin the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a molding apparatusembodying the features of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation thereof. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view showingthe swiveled connection between the members of the plunger-rod. Fig. 4is a detail view of .a shaftbearing employed in connection with thepresent device. Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of the mold or flask usedin connection with the present device. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of theflask, one of the outer side members being removed and one side being insection. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail top plan view of one corner' ofthe flask. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view on the line 8 8 of Fig. 7.Fig. 9

Serial No. 170,853. (No model.)

is a detail sectional view on the line 9 9 of Fig. 2. Fig. 10 is across-sectional view taken on theline 1O 10 of Fig. 2.

Like characters of referencedesignate corresponding parts in each andevery figure of the drawings.

The work-table of the present apparatusis made up'of base-sillsl, fromwhich rise standards 2, having their upper ends connected by beams 3 forthe support of the flask. Rising above the top of the rear portion ofthe table is a frame formed by the posts 4, connected by the cross-bars5 for the support of the plunger and the means for operating the same.

Located above the interval between the adjacent beams 3 is a plunger-rodmade up of upper and lower members 6 and 7, of which the upper memberhas a screw-threaded portion 8 engaging an internally-screw-threadedbearing 9 on the uppermost front cross-bar 5 of the frame, while thelower member has a "bearing in an ordinary bearing-bracket 10 When theupon the lower front cross-bar. plunger is to be operated by hand, asuitable hand-wheel 11 is fitted to the upper end thereof; but it willof course be understood that the plunger-rod may be operated by anysuitable power. A disk-shaped plunger-head 12 is carried by the lowerend of the plungerrod and is rigid therewith, so as to rotate with therod, as will be hereinafter described.

It is designed to have the lower plungerrod member capable of rotationindependently of the upper member, and vice versa, and therefore aswiveled connection is employed between the two members, the particularform of which has been shown in Fig. 3, to which reference is now had.As shown by this figure, thelower end of the upper rod member isembraced by a sleeve 13, rigidly connected thereto by means of keys orfastenings 14, with the lower closed end of the sleeve projected belowthe said rod member. The upper end of the lower rod member is providedwith a reduced cylindrical pin 15, which rotatably pierces the closedend'of the sleeve and has termediate of the stem and rigid therewith isan annular flange or shoulder 17, and at opposite sides of this shoulderis an annular series of antifriction-balls 18, suitable wearplates 19and 20 being interposed, respectively, between the upper set of ballsand the lower end of the upper rod member and the lower setof balls andthe bottom of the sleeve. By this construction a combined thrust-bearingand swiveled connection is provided between the plunger-rod members,whereby the lower rod member may remain fixed against rotation when theupper member is being rotated to feed the plunger downwardly, and saidlower'member may also be rotated independently of the upper memberwhenever desired.

In addition to compressing the material within the mold proper or flaskit is designed to work out the cream of the cement, so as to secure asmooth'homogeneous surface upon the completed article, and it isfurthermore designed to carry out this operation through the medium ofthe plunger-head. To accomplish this result, the plunger-head is causedto rotate during its compression movement in a downward direction, so asto work upon the upper surface of the material in the mold with atroweling action, and thereby-work the cream out of the cement andprevent bubbles and blisters upon the surface of the completed article.1

Forconvenience in rotating the lower member of the plunger-rod asubstantially horizontaldrive-shaft 21 is mounted beneath the uppermostcross-bars of the frame and in rear this shaft is a beveled gear 23,which meshes with a substantially horizontal gear 24 upon the upperportion of an uprightcounter-shaft 25, and power is transferred from thecounter-shaft tothe lower rod member 7 by means of a belt 26, runningaround a pulley 27 upon anintermediate portion of the counter-shaft anda broad'faced pulley 28 upon the plungerrod member 7. It willbe notedthat the face of thepulley 28 on the plunger-rod is comparatively broadto compensate for the vertical movement 'of said rod.

In order that the upright counter-shaft 25 may be in direct alinementbeneath the driveshaft, it is designed to -mount the upper end I andprovided intermediately in its-under side with a socket 30 forthereception of the upper end of the counter shaft 25. Supported withinthe hanger is a bearing-block 31, havmg a concaved seat in its top forthe receppressi-ng operation.

tion of the drive-shaft and a cap member 32 to fit over the top of theshaft and hold the same in the seat of the block.

As best indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, it will be seen that thework-table extends in front and rear of the plunger-head, the rearportion of the table forming the strikingtable, where the surface of thematerial in the mold or flask is struck off to level it before beingplaced beneath the plunger, while the front portion forms thekicking-table, where the molded material is kicked or forced out of themold. Upon the intermediate or press portion of the table is a metallicplate 33, which also extends to the rear end of the striking-table, andupon this plate is placed track members 34, which are substantiallyL-shaped in cross-section, as vbest shown in Fig. 10 of the drawings.These track members are designed to receive between them the flask.ormold 35, soas to effectually guide the latter when it is pushedforwardly under the plunger-head. After the plunger-head has beendepressed so asto compress the material in the mold the latter is pushedonto the kicking-table, which'also has track members 36 for thereception of the mold, and then the molded article is pushed or kickedfrom the -rnoldby means of a push-block 37 in the usual or any preferredmanner.

The preferred" form offlask for use in connection. with the presentapparatus hasbeen shownin Figs. 5 to 8, inclusive, wherein it will benoted that the flask consists of inner and outer members. The innermember has each side made up of a longitudinal plate 38, stood on edge,and a bar 39, substantially rectangular in crosssection, applied to theouter side of the plate at the upper edge thereof and connected theretoby means of suitable fastenings 40. The outer member consists of anouter plate 41 and abottom bar 42, secured to the inner face of theplate at the bottom thereof. As indicated in Fig. 5, it will be notedthat the abutted ends of the top bars 39- are mortised and connected byfastenings 43, so as to connect the four sides of the inner member, anda similar connection is employed between the bars 42 of the outermember. By this construction and arrange- Inent there is an annularspace extending entirely around the flask between the inner and outermembers thereof, and in this space is a convolute spring 44, one foreach side of the flask, bearing against the upper and lower bars 39 and42, so as to yieldably support the inner frame member in anelevatedposition, and thereby permit compression'of the flask under the actionof the plunger during the Suitable helical springs 45 are placed in eachcorner of the flask and between the top and bottom bars, so as toprevent unequal-tilting of the inner flask member at its corners.

1n the operation of the apparatus the yieldable flask is placed upon thestriking-table with the usual follower-board within the lower portion ofthe flask and beneath the inner member thereof, there of course being aspace between the lower edge of the inner flask member and thefollower-board to permit depression of said inner flask member. Theplastic filler material is then placed within the flask and struck offin the usual manner, after which a surfacing material of pure liquidcement is poured over the top of the filler. The flask is then slid uponthe tracks 3 k to a position beneath the plunger 12, and the latter isthen moved downwardly into contact with the upper surface of thematerial and the top edge of the inner flask member. During the downwardmovement of the plunger the inner flask member also moves downwardlytherewith, whereby an effective compression of the material is securedWithout loss or escape of any portion thereof, for the reason that theplunger fits snugly upon the top edge of the inner flask member.Moreover, as the plungerhead rotates during its downward movement it hasa slicking or troweling action upon the surfacing of pure cement,thereby to work out all bubbles and porous places occasioned by reasonof air seeking to escape upwardly through the material. When the innerflask member has reached its lower limit by contact with thefollower-board, the downward movement of the plunger is stopped, andsaid plunger is then elevated. At this point it will be noted that theplunger-head rotates in its retraction movement as well as in itsforward movement, and this is-of utmost importance, for the reason thatthe revolving head gradually leaves the surface of the material withoutproducing a suction thereon, thereby giving the upper surface of thearticle asmooth finish instead of a rough surface, as would result ifthe plunger was drawn away in a straight line without rotation.

By the employment of a yieldable or compressible flask it is apparentthat none of the material can ooze out between the top of the flask andthe plunger-head, whereby all of the material is retained within theflask and is effectually compressed into ahomogeneous mass. It istherefore a very important feature of the present invention to employ acompressible flask in combination with a plunger-head of a diameter torest upon the top of the flask to compress the same simultaneously withthe compression of the material. It is also of importance that theplunger-head be rotated during the compression operation in order thatbubbles and airholes may be worked out of the surface and that the headalso be rotated when leaving the material so as to avoid suction andproduce a smooth finished surface by reason of its troweling or slickingoperation.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to besecured by Letters Patent, is

1. In a molding apparatus, the combination with a frame, of ascrew-threaded bearing thereon, a reciprocating plunger-rod made up ofsections, one of which is screw-threaded and engaging the bearing, theother section having a positive swiveled connection with thescrew-threaded section, a plunger-head carried by theswiveled section,and means for rotating the swiveled section independently of thescrew-threaded section.

2. In a molding apparatus, the combination with a table, and a framerising above the same, of a vertically-disposed plunger-rod having alower swiveled section, a plungerhead carried by the swiveled section,means for reciprocating the plunger-rod, a broadfaced pulley upon therotatable rod-section, a drive-shaft upon the frame, a verticalcounter-shaft connected to the drive-sh aft and provided with a pulley,and abelt running around the pulleys of the counter-shaft and therotatable rod-section.

3. In a molding apparatus, the combination with a table having anintermediate press portion with a striking portion at one side thereofand a kicking portion at the opposite side of the press portion, tracksleading from the striking-table across the press-table to thekicking-table, of a frame rising above the press portion of the table,an upper screwthreaded bearing upon the frame and a lower bearing, avertically -m0vable plunger-rod made up of an upper section having ascrewthreaded portion engaging the threaded bearing and a rotatablelower section swiveled to the upper section and mounted in the lowerbearing, a plunger-head carried by the rotatable rod-section, means forrotating the upper rod-section independently of the lower section, andmeans for rotating the lower section independently of the upper section.

4. In a molding apparatus, the combination with a plunger, of a flaskmade up of inner and outer members of which the inner member is normallyprojected above the outer member and into the path of the plunger withits lower edge terminated short of the bottom of the outer member, andsprings interposed between the two members to yieldably support theinner member.

5. In amolding apparatus, the combination of a plunger having arotatable head, and a

